Sponsors, Financiers, Associates and BDC Operators, Facilitating Banditry and Terrorism in Nigeria

In March 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned six Nigerian nationals for operating a Boko Haram fundraising cell in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

These individuals were convicted in UAE courts for collecting and transferring funds to support Boko Haram’s terrorist activities in Nigeria. The designations were made under Executive Order 13224, which targets terrorist financiers. They were :

• Abdurrahman Ado Musa (also known as Abdurrahaman Musa Ado): Born April 23, 1984. Convicted in the UAE for collaborating with Boko Haram by collecting money in Dubai and sending it to the group in Nigeria. Sentenced to 10 years in prison.
• Salihu Yusuf Adamu (also known as Babangida Adamu): Born August 23, 1990. Convicted in the UAE for membership in Boko Haram/ISWAP and collecting terrorist funds in Dubai. Sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Bashir Ali Yusuf: Born July 8, 1984. Convicted in the UAE for collaborating with Boko Haram by collecting and transferring funds. Sentenced to 10 years in prison.
• Muhammed Ibrahim Isa (also known as Muhammad Ibrahim Isah): Born January 1, 1989. Convicted in the UAE for Boko Haram/ISWAP membership and collecting terrorist funds. Sentenced to 10 years in prison.
• Ibrahim Ali Alhassan: Born January 31, 1981. Convicted in the UAE for collaborating with Boko Haram in fund collection and transfer. Sentenced to 10 years in prison.
• Surajo Abubakar Muhammad: Born January 5, 1978. Convicted in the UAE for Boko Haram membership, facilitating money transfers from Dubai to Nigeria, and terrorism-related charges. Sentenced to life imprisonment.
  These sanctions froze their U.S. assets and prohibited U.S. persons from dealing with them. Nigeria’s Sanctions Committee later added them to its national list in November 2022.

NIGERIA IDENTIFIED 96 FINANCIERS OF TERRORISM

In February 2022, the Nigerian Federal Government announced that the NFIU’s analysis from 2020–2021 had uncovered a network involved in terrorism financing, primarily supporting Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

The key figures from this disclosure are:

• 96 financiers of terrorism: Individuals directly involved in channeling funds to terrorist groups.
• 424 associates/supporters: People linked to the financiers through transactions, logistics, or other support.
• 123 companies: Businesses used to launder or transfer illicit funds.
• 33 Bureau de Change (BDC) operators: Forex bureaus implicated in converting and moving money for terrorists

Despite the scale of this network, the NFIU did not publicly release the full names of these 96 financiers, 424 associates, 123 companies, or 33 BDCs at the time, citing ongoing investigations and national security concerns. Only a limited number of names have since been disclosed through subsequent designations by Nigeria’s Sanctions Committee (NSC), which builds on NFIU intelligence.

The NSC, informed by NFIU data, has designated the following since 2022. These are the most comprehensive publicly available names related to your query:

Individuals (10 total):

1. Abdurrahaman Musa Ado (NLJASi.1) – Terrorist financier; convicted in UAE for Boko Haram fund collection. DOB: 04/23/1984.
2. Bashir Ali Yusuf (NLJASi.2) – Terrorist financier; convicted in UAE for Boko Haram fund transfers. DOB: 07/08/1984.
3. Ibrahim Ali Alhassan (NLJASi.3) – Terrorist financier; convicted in UAE for Boko Haram collaboration. DOB: 01/31/1981.
4. Muhammad Ibrahim Isah (NLJASi.4) – Terrorist financier; Boko Haram/ISWAP member handling funds. DOB: 01/01/1989.
5. Salihu Yusuf Adamu (NLJASi.5) – Terrorist financier; Boko Haram/ISWAP fund collector. DOB: 08/23/1990.
6. Surajo Abubakar Mohammad (NLJASi.6) – Terrorist financier; facilitated Boko Haram money exchanges. DOB: 01/05/1978.
7. Fannami Alhaji Bukar (NLJASi.7) – Boko Haram member; provided training and financial support.
8. Muhammed Musa (NLJASi. – Boko Haram associate; concealed information and provided facilities for attacks.
9. Sahabi Ismail (NLJASi.9) – Boko Haram associate; attended meetings and supported terrorist acts.
10. Mohammed Saleh Buba (NLJASi.10) – Boko Haram financier; received training and rendered support.
    
    Also see: UNIPORT Student Sentenced To Death

Entities/Companies (3 total, no BDCs listed here):

1. Alin Yar Yaya General Enterprises (NLJASe.11) – Linked to Bashir Ali Yusuf; used for Boko Haram fund transfers. Registered: 04/15/2016.
2. K. Are Nigeria Limited (NLJASe.12) – Linked to Surajo Abubakar Mohammad; facilitated terrorist funding. Registered: 09/19/2019.
3. Suhailah Bashir General Enterprises (NLJASe.13) – Linked to Bashir Ali Yusuf; involved in Dubai-Nigeria fund routes. Registered: 11/28/2016.

In March 2024, the NSC added more designations, including high-profile names like publisher Tukur Mamu (linked to ISWAP ransom payments for the 2022 Abuja-Kaduna train attack) and others tied to ISWAP and Ansaru, bringing the public tally closer to 15–21 individuals and 6 BDCs in some reports. However, these are subsets of the broader NFIU-identified network, and full details remain classified.

Efforts to disrupt these networks continue, with financial institutions required to freeze assets and report matches. For the latest updates, refer to the NSC website. If you’re seeking specific legal actions or more context, I recommend consulting official Nigerian government sources.

By Mayokun Delight